Featured Producer: MTO Beats (@MTOBeats) | Manager Savoree Baby (@SavoreeBaby)
TP: What is your stage name? How did you get it?
Producer: MTO Beats… My name came from my nickname “Mateo”, to which I shortened it down to MTO just because I thought it would be easier to remember and would stick in people’s minds a bit more.
TP: What made you get into music? And who/what were some of your inspirations?
Producer: I slowly got myself into music just from hearing so many great R&B/Hip-Hop tracks of the early 2000’s. Making music had always been a passion, and playing hours upon hours of piano everyday really proved that. My main inspirations at the time were artists such as The Roots, Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye, The Commodores, and many more. I wanted to bring the classic and beautiful sounds of 70s/80s Soul & R&B into my Hip-Hop sound.
TP: So what you think about this industry so far?
Producer: It’s sad to see that so many people are so desperate for money that they’ll sell their music for so little. Because of so many producers like that, the quality of music has degraded so much because no one wants to put in more effort if their getting paid 1/10th of what they used to make, 10+ years ago.
TP: If you could what are some of the things you would change about the music industry?
Producer: I would bring back TRUE musicianship. I believe to really call yourself an artist/producer, you need to be able to back that up, whether it be with the proper equipment, licensing, and/or funds.
TP: Honestly how do you feel Producers are being treated? How you think you guys should be treated?
Producer: I feel like producers get treated like it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. And it’s unfortunate, because so many producers truly DON’T have any musicianship skills (for example, know how to play scales or read music), and then they expect to be appraised for being a “Producer”.
TP: Who are some of the people you would like to work with whether mainstream or independent (i.e. DJs, Producers, Producer, etc)?
Producer: I would KILL to be able to work with Kanye West, Drake, Noah “40” Shebib, and some of the other classic R&B/Soul-sampling producers of the early 2000’s. Producers that put MUSIC and know how to play an actual instrument make me proud to be a producer, and inspire to always be better.
TP: What is something unique about you or your music profession that others wouldn’t know by reading this or listening to your beats?
Producer: Before I ever release a new beat, and before I send it off to be copy-written, I always do the “Car Test”, which just involves me playing the demo-version of the beat in my car, and driving around seeing if I could see the beat on the radio, or hear someone jamming it in their car.
TP: Where you see yourself in the next 3-5 years?
Producer: I’m really looking for major record label placement for production work. I also intend on going to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and majoring in Sound Engineering/Audio Production
TP: What are some of the projects you working on?
Producer: I’ve got a few beats in the makings that have been taking a LONG time, purely just because I want to make sure they’re PERFECT. I also plan on releasing a Beat-Tape that will feature Exclusive/Never Released content sometime in the near future.
TP: Do you have any advice you want to give Producer or Producers just starting out?
Producer: Work hard, keep your chin up, and never give up. It also helps to KNOW your instruments and what you’re talking about.
TP: Where can the Reader read more about you and hear your beats/music?
Producer: I’m always open to talk to anyone about music or answer any questions via e-mail. You can also read up on my bio on various websites, including on “Join Da Crowd” & “Hip-Hop.org”. Questions that anyone would like me to answer can be sent to mtobeats@gmail.com
TP: Do you have any shout outs?
Producer: I want to first thank my family for believing in my music and supporting me. I also want to thank Shaya Smith who’s been a tremendous help these past few months, and all the friends and staff from “Join Da Crowd”, “RhinoSilver”, and “Tawag Promotions” for giving me all these opportunities!
